Preaching to the converted at National's conference

It was preaching to the faithful as some of National’s heavy artillery was rolled out to spruik the work of the Government. Shane Cowlishaw reports from the National Party Conference.

Saturday afternoon was a chance for the Nats to press on in an attempt to dim the Barclay spotlight, with targeted presentations on health, education, and safer communities.

First cab off the rank after lunch was the health team of Jonathan Coleman, Nicky Wagner, and Jacqui Dean.

Coleman told the audience that “distractions” thrown out by the Labour Party and protestors outside should be ignored.

“In terms of health we’ve got a great story to tell, and don’t let anyone tell you otherwise.”

He pointed to an extra $5 billion spent since National was elected and described Labour’s allegations about a real cut in spending as “complete fiction”.

An extra 50,000 operations had been funded since the change of Government and 6.2 percent of GDP was being invested into the area, also an increase.

Wagner took her chance to promote Smokefree 2025, pointing to the fact that 15 percent of New Zealanders are smokers, down from 25 percent in 1997.

She also had time for a small dig at the left when talking about plain packaging: “They’re a nasty greenish brown colour…a bit of a joke there”.

Next came the law and order team; Police Minister Paula Bennett, Justice Minister Amy Adams and Corrections Minister Louise Upston.

Bennett, who livened up the crowd with her trademark humour, was deadly serious when describing the work of police.

“Criticism of police is not justified because we have more people in jail than ever before.”

The words were gobbled up by the audience, received with a hearty “here here” and loud applause.

Upston also fingered the “fantastic job” of police as the main reason for the record prison population, now at more than 10,000, which she said would continue to rise in the next several years.

Bennett also touched on firearms regulation and the Government’s decision to ignore the majority of recommendations from the Law and Order Select Committee.

She said the voices of farmers, hunters, and shooters (which included her husband, she noted) wanted gun use by criminals cracked down on, but the rights of legal users respected.

Adams was a more measured voice, describing the importance of focusing on the areas of gangs, family and sexual violence, and the over-representation of Maori as both offenders and victims.

As an example, she said a young person who grew up in a household with domestic violence was five times more likely to commit suicide and 80 percent more likely to grow up and become a family violence offender or victim themselves.